1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjustable skate and, more particularly, to an adjustable skate that is adjustable in a length of a chamber in the boot of the adjustable skate according to different foot lengths of different wearers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Skating is popular among young people, for it is an exciting yet healthy sport allowing users to enjoy speed (e.g., speed skating) and beauty (e.g., figure skating or ice dancing) and thus. A typical skate, whether of wheel type or blade type, includes a boot and a sole. The boot is generally made of plastic material to protect the wearer's foot from external impact. Mounted below the sole is a base to which a blade or wheels are attached.
Skates are expensive, and most users are young people that are still growing. Hence, many skates are adjustable in length and/or width to suit different foot sizes of various wearers. Nevertheless, the adjusting mechanisms of the skates are complicated and, thus, costly. Further, the adjusting procedures for the adjusting mechanisms are troublesome and time-consuming, as they include detachment of bolts and screws before adjustment as well as reassembling of the bolts and screws after adjustment.
Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,746,027 discloses an adjustable skate including a boot, a liner, and a bladder. A chamber for receiving a foot of a wearer is defined between a toe box of the liner and a heel portion of the boot. The bladder has a volume that is adjustable through filling/discharging air into/out of the bladder to move the liner in a lengthwise direction of the boot, thereby changing the length of the chamber. However, it is inconvenient for a skater to carry an inflating device. Further, the inflated bladder cannot maintain a fixed shape after a period of time. Further, it is difficult to precisely control the amount of air to be discharged from the bladder for the purposes of enlarging the chamber.
Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,827,355 discloses an adjustable skate including a boot, a liner, and an adjusting member. A chamber for receiving a foot of a wearer is defined between a toe box of the liner and a heel portion of the boot. The adjusting member includes a screw hole threadedly engaged with a bolt on the liner. When the adjusting member is turned, the liner moves in a lengthwise direction of the boot, thereby changing the length of the chamber. However, the adjusting member is mounted in the toe cap of the boot that is liable to be impacted during skating. Namely, the adjusting member is liable to be damaged by external impact and, thus, fails to provide the adjusting function.